knee-jerk in 2016

Our first community workshop!

​We hope this is the first of many free community workshops offered by knee-jerk. This time, we partnered with the Theatre and Dance Department at the University of Texas at El Paso and counted with the presence of certified Action Theatre instructor Mindy Grossberg. Our 30+ participants included university students, community organizers, and dancers and musicians from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez.

Celebrating Foster Care Awareness

Throughout the month of April we visited the Winchester House (a shelter housing young men, most of which have aged out of the foster system) and along staff of the PRIDE Center and the Transitional Center for LGBTQ Youth we shared meals, played and created performances with residents of the home in preparation for the inauguration of Foster Care Awareness month, which is celebrated in May. On May 7th, as they kicked off their activities for the month, we culminated the program with a two-hour workshop and a free performance. The workshop was attended by 10 residents and the performance (open to the public) had over 40 people in attendance.

This Fall we began rehearsals with the fourth iteration of this ensemble. Still meeting 2-hours a week, we continue to grow and explore different ways to play, interact and create during improvised performances. We are currently getting ready for our upcoming performance at the Rubin Center for the Visual Arts on Feb 25 and 26.

Please note that starting in 2018 this site will no longer be regularly updated, but will continue to exist in an archival capacity. For current activities, please visit the Institute for Improvisation and Social Action at www.improvisationandsocialaction.org